After once again singing their alma mater in another team’s empty stadium, several Penn State players found their moms in the crowd. No one received a bigger hug than running back Miles Sanders.

Miles and Marlene Sanders clung in a long embrace late Friday at Illinois’ Memorial Stadium, with mom saying, “This is what you’ve been waiting for.” Miles Sanders has had enough waiting. He’s now carving his own path as a Penn State running back.

Sanders rushed for a career-high 200 yards and three touchdowns in the Lions’ 63-24 dismissing of Illinois, highlighted by another second-half offensive showcase. The Lions scored a 42 second-half points, giving them an astonishing 142 after halftime on the season.

Sanders, the junior running back from Pittsburgh, helped set up that drumbeat by punishing the Illini during a first half in which the Lions stuttered at times, on offense and defense. They did so to the point that Sanders pointed out their shortcomings (loudly and directly) during halftime.

Penn State routed Illinois 63-24 in Big Ten Conference play Friday, improving to 4-0 before Ohio State’s visit next week. And the grades are in.

OFFENSE: A-. The offensive line has been near-dominant the past three weeks, helping to generate an astonishing 177 points. Left tackle Ryan Bates deserves...

For two years, Sanders watched as Saquon Barkley climbed into the discussion as one of the great backs in Penn State history. As a nationally ranked back himself, Sanders tried to wait his turn, which he didn’t find particularly easy.

Making it more difficult, Franklin said, was watching Barkley spin, cut and hurdle into the national spotlight, which Sanders thought he had to emulate.

He did that early: Sanders tried to cut a few early runs outside and went for a leap on his first carry of the season. Since then, though, he has settled into his style, refreshing everyone’s memory about why he was so highly recruited at Woodland Hills High. Sanders is growing more comfortable, and confident, in himself on and off the field.

“He’s just very mature,” Penn State coach James Franklin said.

And now, he’s producing at a Barkley-like level. Through four games, Sanders has rushed for 495 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 7 yards per carry. They’re not far off Barkley’s numbers through four games last year (66 carries, 539 yards), though the Whitehall High graduate also caught 23 passes to Sanders’ seven.

Though he doesn’t have the breathtaking moments Barkley produced, Sanders has been more consistent at generating positive plays to keep Penn State’s offense on schedule. Barkley was prone to the more-than occasional losses on first or second down as he tried to take everything to the end zone.

Penn State held serve en route to its showdown with Ohio State, defeating Illinois 63-24 on Friday night. What we learned from Champaign, where the Lions moved to 4-0 with the Buckeyes looming next week.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Miles Sanders had a star-making night, rushing for 200 yards and three touchdowns...

Sanders, meanwhile, has just 20 yards in losses this season — and none Friday night. He’s converting third-down runs with power, shedding tackles and showing speed bursts (as he did on a 48-yard touchdown run) that some might have forgotten he had.

“Sometimes there’s nothing prettier than an ugly 3-yard run,” Franklin said. “A lot of times at running back, you want to try to bounce everything and you want to go 80 yards every single time. But then we end up in second and 12.

“Getting a running back to lower your shoulder, fight through a crack, get 2-3 yards and keep us on schedule is important. And I think he’s doing a really good job of that.”

Sanders might even throw better than Barkley. Despite being a self-professed bundle of nerves, he delivered a perfect toss to quarterback Trace McSorley for a second-half touchdown pass that was called back by penalty. It was a much better throw than Barkley made on his 2017 touchdown pass.

For Penn State, an explosive Sanders is vital to Big Ten contention, starting next week against Ohio State. Barkley had much success against the Buckeyes in three games, starting with his breakthrough performance in 2015.

As he sat in an empty Memorial Stadium early Saturday morning, Sanders reflected on how he got there. Two years ago, Franklin suggested that Sanders and his mother could write a book about their recruiting process, which the coach said got “aggressive,” “nasty” and “relentless” toward the end.

Now, Sanders is just getting started.

“I came from being a top recruit to just sitting behind another great back, but I came here for a reason,” Sanders said. “[Penn State] recruited me for a reason.”

Penn State coach James Franklin discusses where running back Miles Sanders is thriving.

Penn State coach James Franklin discusses where running back Miles Sanders is thriving.